1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to heavy-duty flat wiper blade assemblies.
2. Related Art
Heavy-duty flat wiper blade assemblies are known having a straight body mounting a rubber wiper element. In one known construction, the body is extruded from a plastic which is, in turn, reinforced by a metal stiffener to provide sufficient structural rigidity to the body, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,107,384. In another known construction, the body is fabricated from a strip of steel which is bent into a generally U-shaped profile in cross-section and crimped along its length to the rubber wiper element to secure the wiper element. In this case, the flat steel body component is cut to length along with the wiper element prior to folding the flat steel over the wiper element.
Both such constructions are costly to manufacture and are limited in the features and advantages they can offer.
Heavy-duty flat wiper blade assemblies constructed according to the present invention overcome or greatly minimize the foregoing limitations of prior wiper blade assemblies.